The book lockers in the photo above are an example of simple technology on which tax money ought to be spent. These book lockers are also an example of how, in very simple ways, a local government can dramatically influence a community's sense of self-worth.
The Cleveland Heights - University Heights Library has the first outside book pick-up lockers which I have seen – though CH-UH is not the first in Ohio to install these 24 hour access lockers (manufactured by American Locker [1]). New libraries in Columbiana [2] and Springfield [3]have similar outside pick-up lockers.
To open the lockers you can either use your library card number or a code which is transmitted to you when the library fills your book order and lets you know the book is ready for pick-up.
Contrast this technology – which is entirely supportive of the needs of the citizens in the community – with the money which the City of Cleveland and the City of East Cleveland and a number of other communities spend on red-light and speed trap camera technology.
As a number of realneo users have pointed out recently in discussions on Realneo about cars being towed, the speed trap technology is basically a way for a government to consume/eat its own people to generate revenue to support the governmental bureaucracy.
The political decision to invest in technology to trap/track your citizens or, in contrast, to invest in technology to accommodate and educate your citizens - I believe leads to the development of dramatically different attitudes in the citizenry.
Cleveland and East Cleveland city councils have decided to spend money on technology which enables those cities to supplement their budgets by punishing their citizens with fines, while CH-UH city councils have decided to spend money to improve services for their citizens.
I realize that this is a bit of an oversimplification because I have compared only speed cameras with book lockers. Nonetheless, wouldn’t you agree that the difference in feeling (that you get down the back of your neck) when you pass a speed camera or pass this book pick-up locker does fairly represent a critical civic difference between CH-UH and Cleveland/East Cleveland?
It does for me.
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